Reading stand



Aug. 1, 1944. l c. x. KU 2,354,998

l READING STAND l v 11116141340. 1, 1941 2 sheets-sheet 2 INVENTOR;

Patented Aug. l, 1.944V

Y UNITED YSYI'A'I'ES PATENT OFFICEy 'READINGV STAND. lChain Ki Kowloon.: fHong Kong, China; *A

vested in the Alien I roperty (.lustodiau Application Decemben 1, 1941, seria1Nb.421,1ec

Y being pointed out in the claims appended hereto.

3 Claims.

This invention relates generally to book holders and has particular reference to what are usually referred to as reading stands.

One object of the invention isto provide a reading stand which will hold a bookfn subl In the drawings:

Fig. l-is a top view of ready for use.v

stantially any position desired by the reader.

This involves making lprovision for adjustments as to height and the angle at which the book yis held, While the stand is so constructed as to be light in weight and therefore readily movable to set it at any-desired distance from the reader.

Another object is to provide a reading stand of the character mentioned which can be partially knocked down or in effect collapsed so as to occupy a small space when not in use. This involves in the novel structure shown and described, the loosening of only one set screw'to permit removal of a book holder unit from its normal position on a vertical standard, coupled with a simple and new means for holding ythe removed unit close to .and in substantially parallel relation to the vertical standard.

Another object of the invention is to provide a Support for an open book comprising convenient and novel means for'preventing the leaves from turning except when turned by the reader. This means is readily adjustable to accommodate books of different sizes and thicknesses.

Still another object of the invention is toprovide a novel device for holding the book holder unit in adjustment at dierent heights on a support while leaving the book holder free to rotate around the support. This is accomplished by providing an element, such as a sleeve, which can be adjusted at the desired height on the support and then secured in position; and a second element, preferably also a sleeve, which is rotatable on thesupport and to which the book holder unit is attached with a connection between the two sleevel elements which will prevent them from separating While making the height adjustment. This connection is also useful in collapsing the device for storage as the connection is maintained and the connected parts are therefore in proper relations when the book stand, is taken from storage and set up for use.

With the foregoing and incidental objects and advantages in view, all of whichwill become more apparent later on, the invention consists in anovel construction and relative arrangement of parts, a preferred embodiment of which is hereinafter described with reference to the draw- 1 ings accompanying and forming a part of this specification, the novel features of the invention Fig.v 2 is-a front `view `of the reading stand with some of the parts at the right of the figure vbeing shown in cross-section.

Fig. 3 is a View of the book holder or rack f with a. bookI in position and the means for holding the book open about ready to be applied.

Fig. 4 is a section along the line 4--4 of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a section along the line 5-5 of Fig. 2. Fig. 6 is a section along the line 6-5 of Fig. 5. Fig. '7 is a section along the line 'I-l of Fig. 5. Fig. 8 is a top'plan View.

Fig. 9 is Ia side view of the reading stand collapsedv ready to be stored away when not in use, and

. Fig. 10 is a perspectivelview of `the portion of therear of ther book holder showing the means for. holding a holder for a4 reading lamp.

. The construction illustrated in the drawings comprises a rather wide base I0 on which is ferred to as sleeves, but it islunderstood that this term is used mainly forv convenience. The sleeve I4 has a reduced sectionv I5,.constructed toprovide. a peripheral groove I6.` .The sleeve I3 is constructed to provide `a socket lto vreceive the Vreduced portion I5 `and around the periphery of Hthe socket are set screws I'I which have their ,-ends extendedinto the groove I6.

. vides a Aconnection which permits relative'rotation of the sleeves I3 and .I4 but the two sleeves ,are normally held against longitudinal separation.'l This permits theraising and lowering of sleeves I3 and Ill as a unit in adjusting the height of the book holder, on the standard I I.

The sleevev I3 has alongitudinal groove along one side in which is mountedfa friction block I8 backed up by a metal strip I9. Working against the metal strip IllV is the end of a set screw 2I l threaded into the body of. the sleeve I3 or into a metal plate 22 which is used when the sleeve I3 is constructed'of wood. Loosening and tighteningthe set screw 2I` will Yrelieve and restore pressure by the. friction block I8 against the Y .standard II so as yto free the sleeve for adjustment and then secure it atthe desired level on the reading stand set up This pro- Y the standard II. Plungers 23 ext'end from the exterior of the sleeve I3 into holes in the' friction block I8 so as to prevent the latter from falling out when the sleeve is not in position on the standard. The plungers are preferably provided with heads fitting snugly in holes in the sleeve I3, although frictional fit between the plungers and the holes for them in the sleeve I3 and friction Vblock vI8, may be 1suilicient forv all practical purposes.

Secured to and at right angles to the axis of the sleeve I4 is a bar 24 which is rectangularin cross-section at the point where it is connectedA to the sleeve. Screws 25 may be used for con- Y at one side of the sleeve I4 and is preferably rectangular in cross-section at the portion 21 lying at the other side of the sleeve. Y Secured to the upper surface of therectangular portion 21 as by screws 28 is a tray 29. lThis tray may be of any desired size or shape and weight and is used mainly to hold books or any desired rarticle which, in addition to the weight of the tray,r serves as a counterbalance when heavy books are on the holder at the other end of the Vbar 24.

Slidably mounted on a circular or tubular section 26 .of the bar24 isa member 3I provided with a clamping set screw 32 Vand associated construction similar to that described in connection with the set screw 2I. The set screw 32 may be tightened and loosened to hold the member 3I in any longitudinal or angular -relation with the bar 26. By this means the block or member 3| may be moved towardand away from the sup- After a book has been placed on the ledge 45 and opened to the desired page, the pages are held against accidental turning by threads 53 which are drawn across the open book and then secured. While the term threads has been used it is intended to include in that term any suitable cord'or elastic which will serve the purpose. The threads 53 are all really a part of one thread which is secured at the end 54 -in a bar 55 and which passes down through holes 56 at the end of the top bar 43, then up through a corresponding hole in the bar 42 through spaced apart holes in the bar 55 and down through another hole 51 in the lower bar 43. The number of threads and the arrangement of the threads relative to the bar`55 will vary according to the number of bars 42 and 43 comprised by the book holder. On the back of the lower bar 43 is a hemispherical chock 6 I. The thread 53 is let out or taken up as needed porting vertical standard II and may be turned around the tubular Orcircular-bar 26 so as to adjust thebook holder supported .bythe member I 3I in the desired position vand then secure the adjustment by means of the set screw 32. As

.reading position.

to get the desired adjustment and the free end of the thread is then wound around the chock 6 I. The threads 53 are drawn across the open book by manual movement of the bar 55 to engage the threads with notches 62 in the ends of the bars 42 and 43 and the bar then held with its iiat face 63 on the undersides of the bars 42 and 43. The slots 62 are deep enough and the arrangement is such that the threads will be held across the open book and prevent the turning of the leaves. This is best illustrated in Fig. l of the drawings. It is apparent, of course, that the bar 55 may be seated under the bars 42 and 43 with the threads in the notches 62 and the threads then adjusted endwisev and secured by the chock 6I when such an operation is desired. It is apparent that by this arrangement and way of holding the threads lbooks of various sizes may be accommodated'in When it is desired to putthe readingstand away it may be knocked down or collapsed as previously stated. This involves loosening the shown in Fig. 4, the member. 3| is providedwith a circular portion. 33 normally fitting within a correspondingly shaped socket 34 in a member or rack. In addition to the' bar 42 the rack comprises two or more additional bars 43 spaced apart from and extending parallel to the bar 42. The bars 42 and 43 are held together and in the relation stated by bars 44. The latter bars preferably extend below the lower'y bar 43 and carry a ledge 45 for supporting a book A. This ledge may be .of sheet metal or any other desired material and may be attached in any desired way to the bars 44.

On the rear side of one of the bars 44 is a metal plate 46, Fig. 10, provided with a ridge 41 to engage a slot 48 in an arm 49, which at its'upper endis provided with any suitable kind-of a holder for a readinglamp. The arm 43 is held in adjusted position by ar set screw 5I which may be tightened in a threaded hole 52 in-the plate 46.

From all of the-foregoing`V it is apparent that by manipulating the set screws 2l, 32 and 36 the height andangle at which the book holder will be held may be adjusted as desired, thereby proyiding a very flexible arrangement .adaptingvthe device to the requirements of the user.

set screw 2I and then sliding the sleeves I3 and I4 and all of the parts attached to them olf of the vertical standard II. This assemblage is then turned and put in position parallel to the vertical shaft II with the edge of the counter balancing tray 29 in a slot 64 in the upper surface of VVthe base I0. The parts are held in this relation by a fiat member` 65 having two circular openings, one to engage the standard II and the other `to engage the circular part 26 of the main horizontal bar of the reading stand. The

entire apparatus will then appear as shown in Figs..8.and 9. When the stand is set up and in `use. the member 65 may be kept under the counterbalancing tray 29, preferably by engaging a slot 66Y in its side with a headed stud on the unl derside of the tray. This is illustrated in Fig. 1.

f The base I0 may be of any size or shape Vsuicient to give stability to the stand when it is` in use. It is preferred to make the base wid'eand at enough-to hold books both as a matterf of Y convenience and in order to serve astcounterbalances in the direction desired for the stand, particularly when a heavy book is puton' the 'book holder.

What is claimed is:

1. Areading stand comprising a` base land a vertical standard supported by said` base,.a pair of aligned sleeves slidable Yand rotatable on said standard, a portion of one sleeve extending With- Y in the other sleeve and means on the other sleeve engaging said extending portion whereby the up- *per sleeve v'is rotatably adjustable with respectto the lower sleeve, means for adjustably securing the lower of said sleeves in position on the standard, a connection between the sleeves constructed to permit relative rotation of the sleeves while preventing axial relative movement of the sleeves, a horizontal bar secured intermediate its length to the upper sleeve, and a book support on each end of the horizontal bar.

2. A reading stand comprising a base and a vertical standard supported by said base, a sleeve rotatable and slidable on said standard and having a circumferentially extending groove at its lower end, a second sleeve below the first sleeve adjustable up and down on the standard and having a plurality of screws projecting into the groove in the rst sleeve to connect the two sleeves for substantially unitary movement up and down on said standard while permitting rotation of the rst sleeve relative to the second sleeve, means for securing the second sleeve in adjusted position on the standard, a horizontal bar secured intermediate its length to the first sleeve, a book rack on one end of said bar and a book stand on the other end of said bar.

3. A reading stand comprising a base and a vertical standard supported by said base, a pair of sleeves slidable and rotatable on said standard, means for adjustably securing the lower of said sleeves in position on the standard, a connection between the sleeves constructed to permit relative rotation of the sleeves while permitting axial relative movement of the sleeves, a horizontal bar secured to the upper sleeve, a book holder comprising a back, means intermediate the back of the book holder and the horizontal bar for adjustably holding the book holder in different longitudinal and angular positions on the horizontal bar, a plurality of thread strands held at one end by the back of the book holder, a manually operable member holding the strands at their other ends, means carried by the book holder back for holding the strands when said strands have been drawn across the book and engage with said means by the manually operable member, and means whereby the lengths of the strands may be varied to accommodate books of various thicknesses.

CHAIN KI KU. 

